When I first heard someone say “carrot dogs” I laughed. I REALLY laughed when they told me that they love them and take the place of a hot dog. There is no way a carrot can taste like a hot dog. It is impossible…..or so I thought.

So I decided to try them for Memorial Day. We usually try a new dish on our get togethers so this time it was going to be carrot dogs. Some of the dishes we love and make again and some we note in huge letters “NO”.

I really did expect them to be a failure. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around a carrot dog. I bought 10 carrots and had my husband grill 5 and I cooked 5 on the stove to see if one was better than the other. We had all the trimmings….mustard, ketchup, onions, chili, sauerkraut, and dill relish.

I bravely made my carrot dog with all my favorite trimmings and took that first bite.

OH MY GOSH!!! It was nothing like what I expected. This thing tasted good…..I mean really good! So I encouraged our family and friends to give it a try. Several bravely accepted the challenge…..{My family and friends love me and proved it by trying a carrot dog}. They all really liked it. Several were in as much shock as I was that they tasted as good as they did. One of my friends even encouraged me to bring it to the next church fellowship. I’m going to have to think on that one.

SO……..if you have never tried a carrot dog I strongly suggest you do. Here is the recipe that I used. It comes from clean eating veggie girls website.

I have no idea who sits around thinking up these recipes but I am so glad they do.

1. Boil carrots for approximately 6 to 8 minutes, or until fork tender but not mushy. After removing the carrots from the boiling water, run them under cold water to stop the cooking process.

2. While the carrots are cooking, whisk together the Bragg’s, water, vinegars, sesame oil, liquid smoke, garlic, and seasonings.

3. Combine the carrots and the marinade in a zipper gallon-size bag (I actually used two in case of a leak), or in an air-tight container. Shake gently until the carrots are coated with the marinade. Place the carrots in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

4. To cook the carrots, spray a medium skillet with olive oil cooking spray. Turn the heat to medium and place the carrots and about 1/2 cup of the marinade into the skillet. Heat the carrots for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm.

You are in charge!! Many people believe that their genes control their health and that just isn’t so. They may play a part in it but they do not control your health. You do!

God gave us one body. We are to be a good steward of it. What we put in and on our bodies affect our health. Our bodies were created to heal themselves and as we nourish them with proper food they will stay strong, fight off disease and be happy, which makes us feel good….emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.

We can’t do just one thing though. We can’t exercise but eat the typical Western diet and expect good health. We can’t eat healthy and not exercise. We can’t use the supplements and oils and whatever else they throw at us and think that will make up for the “wrong” we are doing.

We have to be serious about our health. I encourage you all to look at the ingredients to the food you are putting in your body. Food is fuel. If is it tainted fuel, your body is not going to run the way it should.

We oversaturate ourselves with chemicals, poisons and toxins and then get mad at God when we our health is comprimised. How important is your health? Are you willing to do what it takes to feel good? Our society in general has a tendency to just accept everything we are told by doctors. It is easier to put a Band-Aid on than deal with the cause of our illness. Medications have side effects. Then you wind up taking more meds for the side effects, which creates more side effects…..well, you get the picture. It is a vicious cycle. It could all be avoided by eating properly.

My hope and prayer is that through this blog someone will be able to reverse their heart disease, lose weight, overcome cancer or the many other diseases out there. I just want everyone to be informed and to know there is HOPE.

So let’s talk about moderation. I used to tell everyone that a little bit of that won’t hurt. Just make sure it is in moderation. My thoughts have changed on that after much study and research.

First I must ask you….how desperate are you to get healthy? To lose weight, to get those numbers in a safe zone, to feel good and have energy? Are you willing to do what it takes? I have found that eating plantbased takes some work. It does get easier over time and I can tell you that I enjoy my food now more than I ever have. It has been a journey just like everything else in life is.

The goal is to arrest heart disease altogether, even reversing it. Studies have been shown that you can do that. It is possible but there can’t be any cheating. According to Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn there is no such thing as moderation. Moderation Kills!!

My downfall is chips. I was really struggling to stop eating them. I thought that I could do everything else and just have some chips once in awhile. You know, in moderation. I couldn’t get my cholesterol down to where I wanted it and was getting frustrated thinking I was doing everything right. I was told by someone that “those chips are killing you”. I thought about that statement long and hard. Are the chips really worth dying over.

I have since started making my own with corn tortillas. Now, I like them almost as much as regular chips.

So ask yourself, is it really worth it? It all goes back to what do you really want in life. Some things are worth fighting for. Your health is one of those things. Don’t wait until you get a diagnosis to decide to get healthy. Prevention is the key. Keep your body in shape and healthy and if something does come along, you will be able to fight it off easier. You will have a headstart. You will find out that you won’t get all of the “bugs” and “junk” going around that everyone else is getting. Another perk for eating plant based.

So the next time you want to eat “in moderation” remember……Moderation Kills!

Some people can jump in the middle of something and go for it 100% all the way, right from the start. I do better with baby steps and think most people do.
When I decided to get off of sugar I was drinking Coke and Dr. Pepper daily. Lots of it! I went from drinking pop to drinking sweet tea. Johnnies sweet tea….because it is the best! Then I switched over to unsweetened tea and then on to hot herbal/green tea. It took several months but worked for me.

I’m sure you have all heard of “Meatless Mondays”. This is a great way to start off your week with baby steps.

Switch to almond, rice, soy, quinoa, or hemp “milk”. We love almond milk and use it for everything….including making mashed potatoes.

When you are switching over to a plant based diet, if you need to, choose 1 thing like dairy. Get rid of all the dairy and then move on to no oils and then on over to the meat dept. Just do 1 thing at a time but DO SOMETHING.

It is easy to talk about what you WANT to do or NEED to do but you never get past talking. With baby steps, in 3 months you will be further along than you are now but if you just talk….in 3 months you will be right where you are sitting today.

I decided to start writing a blog because I am very passionate about whole food plant based eating and I want to help others. I want people to know that there is an alternative to medication..have you ever heard the saying “food is thy medicine”….I believe it! The junk that is being injected into and sprayed on our foods now days is horrible! If you had a bottle of poison sitting on your cabinet you wouldn’t dream of putting it into the food you were cooking for your family. That is exactly what we are doing when we eat the processed food of today.

There is another way though. I love the food we eat now. I enjoy my food more now than I ever have. I want this to be a blog that will encourage, inspire, inform and root you on to better health for you and your family.